The Other Side

You Reap What You Sow (Ch. 1)

What was just a beautiful, sunny sky is now being hidden by grey clouds. While less visually pleasing, at least it gives everyone a more accurate sense of the weather. On a cold day like this, Montoya Perez wouldn't take her five-year-old daughter to go get ice cream. But 'alas, her daughter's begging was more than enough to convince her otherwise. Her parents did always call her a pushover. Probably not a good trait for a police officer.

Montoya: a Latino woman with light brown skin, short black hair, and currently wearing a green T-shirt with blue jeans, waits patiently at the drive-through window of a Dairy Queen. While not the first thing that came to her mind when thinking of ice cream, it was nearby and Katie tends to freak out over any frozen treat, regardless of where it's from.

Montoya positions the rearer view mirror to where she can see Katie, and her daughter, who can never sit still, has her face practically shoved into the back window, with her eyes scanning the menu which showcases a variety of food items. The sight makes Montoya smile a little.

The sound of her ringtone steals her attention, and she picks up her smartphone. In big white text, the phone reads: "Husband is calling." She swipes the green answer icon and places the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She says.

"Hey!" Her husband answers enthusiastically from the other end. "I'm finally off."

"That's nice. How was your day, Frank?"

"Same 'ole, same 'old. However, I have some good news to share. Me and James made some incredible progress today."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, he completely broke down in front of me believe it or not. But I think he's finally realizing how to accept himself. At this rate, he won't need much therapy. My other patients on the other hand are a different story."

As Frank goes on about the state of his other patients, Montoya accepts the small-sized ice cream cone from the cashier which Katie looks at delightfully. She hands her daughter the ice cream and within seconds of holding it, she's already made a mess.

"Thanks, Mommy!" She says cheerfully in between bites.

"You're welcome, honey," Montoya responds, still listening to her husband.

"But what about your day, honey?" Frank asks curiously. "Anything interesting happen?"

"I'm off duty today." Montoya answers. "However, I'll likely be coming to the station tonight to take care of some errands. Just got our princess some ice cream."

"Mom of the year by day, superhero by night."

Montoya chuckles as she drives towards the exit of the parking lot.

"Well, honey, I'll call you back," Frank says. "I think someone's trying to schedule an appointment."

"Alright, well, I'm about to pull out of Dairy Queen, so I'll call you once I get home," Montoya says while patiently waiting to pull onto the main road once cars are done passing.

"Okay, later, dear."

Frank hangs up as Montoya looks to her left to check for incoming cars. She only spots one, where there is enough distance for her to pass. She pulls onto the road and is able to make it another ten yards before she's stopped once again by a red light.

"Hey, Mommy, why is ice cream called ice cream?" Katie asks, as her curious mind often does.

"Well because what you're eating has ice and cream in it, sweetie," Montoya answers with a smile.

"But how come sandwiches aren't called bread, meat, and cheese?"

Montoya chuckles.

"I never thought about that."